Rotary engine.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MIGGE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APECIFIGATON" forming' part 0f Letters Patent No. 638,520, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed J'une l2, 1899. Serial No. 720,264. (No model.)

To cl/ZZ whom it may con/06772,:

Beit known that I, HENRY MIGGE, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to rotary engines and it consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the center of one of the cylinders of my improved rotary engine. Fig. 2 is a'plan view of the engine, one of the cylinders being shown in section, which section is taken approximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. -3 is a vertical sectional view analogous to Fig. 1 and showing one of the sliding plates used in my improved engine in a withdrawn position. Fig. 4 is a View in perspective of the pair of disks that carry the pistons in my improved engine. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a cam made use of for actuating the sliding plates in the engine. A Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of one of the sliding plates. Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view of the form of valve made use of in connection with my improved engine for reversing the motion thereof. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of one of the sliding plates.

Referring by letters and numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the shaft, which is to be rotated by the engine, and upon which shaft is mounted the entire engine. A pair of cylinders 2, similar in form and size, are mounted side by side upon the shaft 1, there being suitable bearings and stufling-boxes 3 arranged in the sides of said cylinders through which the shaft 1 passes. Integral with opposite sides of each of the cylinders 2 are the laterally-projecting rectangular casings 4, in the centers of which are formed the horizontally-arranged rectangular passage-ways 5, in which operate the sliding plates, yet to be described, and in said casings 4:, above and below each of the passage-ways 5, are formed the steam-chambers 6, there being tubular lconnections 7 led to each one of said steamchambers. Ports 8, in the form of laterallypositioned slots, are formed in the walls between eachA passage-way 5 and the steamchambers at the juncture of said walls with the casing 2, and extending inwardly from each side wall of each casing 2 is an integral circular flange 9, the same being concentric with the periphery of the casing 2, and said flanges 9 are separated at the center of each casing by a very slight space. Formed in opposite sides of these flanges 9 are pockets 10, the same being in alinement with the passage-ways 5. The space between the flanges 9 and the outer wall of the casing 2 is the space in which the pistons travel.

Interposed between the flanges 9 in the ceny ter ot' each casing 2 is a disk 11, the edge of which rides directly against the inner face of the casing 2, and said disk is provided on its side faces with grooves 12, which receive the edges of the ilanges 9, and carried by the edge of each one of the disks 12 is a piston 13, the side faces of which are slightly concaved in cross-section, and said piston, as heretofore stated, operates in the circular space between the llanges 9 and the wall of the casing 2.

Fitted to operate in each passage-way 5 and pocket 10 is a sliding plate 14, the same being provided in its center with a slot 15, through which the disk 11 passes, and in the top and bottom faces of which plate is formed a recess or chamber 16, the same being long enough to allow a free passage of steam from the chamber 6 through the ports 8 into the space between the flanges -9 and the wall of the casing 2 when the plate is at its innermost limit of movement and with its lower end within one of the pockets 10. With the rear edge of each one of said plates 14; is

formed integral a pair of ears 17, to which is IOO section c being approximately twice the length of the section Z), and said section c is formed on a circle midway between the circles on which the sections a and b are formed.

Pivotally connected to the outer end of each of the connecting-bars 1S is abar 21, the same being fulcrumed upon a bracket 22, projecting outwardly from the casing 4, and pivotally secured to the inner end of each of these bars 21 is a rod 23, which is arranged to slide through the bearing 24, secured to the inner face of the side wall of the cylinders 2, and the inner end of each of the rods 23 carries an antifriction-roller 25, which operates directly in the cam-grooves 20,which are formed in the side faces of the disk 19. Then these rollers 25 are passing through the sections ci of the grooves 20, the rods 1S, 21, and 23 will be actuated to move the plates 14 to their outer limit of movement, as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the inner ends of said plates 14 are entirely withdrawn from the space in which the pistons 13 travel. Therefore when said plates are drawn into this position said pistons can freely pass between the inner ends of the plates and the pockets 10. When the rollers occupy the section h of the camgroove, the plates are moved to their inner limit of movement or until their inner ends occupy the space within the pockets 10, this position being clearly shown at the right hand of Fig. l, and when the rollers occupy the section c of the cam-groove the plates are so moved as that their lower ends occupy the space between the flanges 9 and the outer wall of the cylinder 2,which position is clearly shown at the left hand of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 7 have shown a valve by the use of which the motion of my improved rotary engine may be reversed. This valve comprises a casing 26, into the center of which leads a tubular connection 27, said connection leading from a suitable steam-supply,

and formed in the opposite sides of this connection 27, within the casing 26, is a pair of oppositely-arranged valve-seats 28. Formed in the top and bottom walls of the casing opposite these valve-seats 28 are the valveseats 29, and bearings 30 are formed on the outside of the casing 26 immediately over said valve-seats 29. Leading from the chambers on each side of the tubular connection 27 are the pipes 31 and 32, one of which is connected to a pair of thepipes 7 on the opposite sides of the engine, and the opposite one of the pipes 31 and 32 is connected to the opposite pair of pipes 7. Operating through the bearings 30 is a val ve-stem 33, upon which are arranged four valve-disks 34, the same being so located as that when one disk is seated upon one of the valve-seats 28 one of said valve-disks will be seated upon one of the valve-seats 29 and the opposite pair of Valve-disks 34 will be unseated from their respective valve-seats.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8 the sliding plate 14 is provided with small ports or passage-ways 35, the same leading from the recesses 16 to the exterior surfaces of said plate, and check-valves 36 are arranged to close the ends of these ports or passage-ways that communicate with the recesses 16, said valves 3G swinging outwardly into said recesses 16. n

In the operation of my improved rotary engine the steam enters the engine through a pair of the oppositely-arranged pipes 7, asindicated by the arrows in Fig. l but the steam or compressed airis takeninto the engine only on one side, owing to the position of the disk 19, which, together with the various connecting rods and levers, determines the positions of the sliding plates 14, and when the piston 13 is in the position as shown in Fig. 1 the steam or compressed air will enter the cylinders behind said piston and drive the same around within the cylinder until said piston almost reaches the opposite sliding plate 14. During the first half of this movement of the piston the sliding plate 14 at the right hand of Fig. 1 will remain at its inner limit of movement, owing to the fact that the roller 25, that corresponds to this particular sliding plate, is in the portion b of the groove 20, and when the piston 13 has reached a point halfway between the sliding plates 14 said roller 25 will pass out of said portion b into the portion c and this particular sliding plate 14 will pass outwardly a short distance, or to the position where the steam-supply into the cylinder behind the piston will be cut o, and said piston will now be driven forward by the eX- pansion of the steam or compressed air within the cylinder. reaches the opposite sliding plate 14 or the one shown at the left hand of Fig. 1, the

When the piston 13 almost roller 25 corresponding to said last-mentioned A sliding plate, which has heretofore been traveling in the portion c of the groove 20, will pass into the portion a of said groove, and as a result of this movement the sliding plate 14 will be withdrawn to its outer limit of movement or with its inner end clear of the path of travel of the piston 13, this position being clearly shown in Fig. 3, and as soon as said piston 13 has passed the inner end of said sliding plate the roller corresponding to said plate will pass into the portion b of the groove 2O and said sliding plate will be moved to its inner limit of movement and live steam or air will pass through the lower left-hand one of the pipes 7, as seen in Fig. 1, and said piston 13 will be driven forwardly a quarter of a revolution by the admission of said live steam or air, and when it has reached a point midway between the sliding plates 14 the roller 25 corresponding to the left-hand one of the plates 14 will pass into the portion 6 of the groove 2O and said particular sliding plate will be withdrawn into the position shown in Fig. 1 and said piston 13 will traverse the rest of the distance to the right-hand one of the sliding plates 14 as a result of the expansion of the steam or air. rIlhis operation is conat ahigh speed and With considerable power.l

When the live steam or airis being admitted on one side of the cylinder, the expanding steam or air on the opposite side of said cylinder is exhausting outwardly, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. If desired, the construction shown in Fig. S may be employed, thus providing for the exhaust of the steam or air after the sliding plate 14 has been drawn into a central position. The valves 36 open in one direction only and in such a direction as to allow the exhaust of the expanded steam or air.

A rotary engine of my improved construction may be applied directly to the shaft to be driven, is economical in the use of steam or compressed air, is very compact, and very efficient in use.

In a rotary engine of the class described, a cylinder, a shaft rotatably arranged in said cylinder, a disk carried by said shaft, a piston carried by said disk, a pair of oppositelyarranged plates having recesses formed in their opposite sides, which plates control the admission and exhaust of fluid under pressure to and from said cylinder, there being auxiliary exhaust-ports formed in the opposite sides of each plate, which exhaust-ports communicate with said recesses, and check-valves normally closing the said auxiliary ports at the points Where they communicate with the recesses, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY MIGGIL Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, EDWARD E. LONGAN. 

